Cruise
Plus
A Grand 12 Day Egyptian Adventure
Board Luxor
12
Days - Here's the best of Egypt : an extended stay in Cairo and a 5-day
cruise along the Nile With a 2 Night stay
in Luxor or Aswan , and a
tour of the Mighty Abu Simbel Temples
We have even included all the tips
Tour Starts DAILY in Cairo - Arrive any day of the week

Compare
with the 2 Weeks edition ,
9 day , 10 days, 11
Day with extended stay in Luxor or Aswan . Add: Abu
Simbel , Petra A La Indiana Jones
, or ' Dendera & Abydos
Temples .
Start from Madrid Spain ?
Go fishing for a day on Lake
Nasser . Add an extra night in
Sharm . Going to Taba ? Honeymooners
, Private Parties ? Ask for a Private
Cruise . Add Spain and Andalucia
Honeymoon
Egypt :
with an extended stay in Sharm El Sheikh - 13 Day Version
DAY
1 - CAIRO Tour
Starts DAILY in Cairo - Arrive any day of the week .
Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your
hotel. Visa fee is included and will be issued upon arrival at Cairo
Airport for : Australian, NZ, American,EU , Canadian & Japanese
citizens. You are responsible for having your passport in order valid
at least for 6 month beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo.
Visa
will be issued upon arrival.
As you exit the gate, you will pass through a door or two , down some
stairs , then walk for 2-5 minutes , until you pass the duty free shops,
at the end of a wide corridor , you will see the security officers.
There you will be met by a local representative, who will be holding
a sign with your name .
Our local representative will then take your passport to obtain a stamp
from the cashier / bank window and escort you to speak with the passport
officer. He will escort you through another last check on your passport
as you exit the passport control, into customs area, he will assist
you in collecting your luggage and clearing customs . After exiting
the terminal, our local representative will escort you (private vehicle)
to the hotel
DAY
2 - CAIRO As
You Please (BLD)
On
your first full day in Egypt we show you the Egyptian Museum, including
the " Mummies Room" , King Tut's Gold and Treasure Room
, lunch is included at Naguib Mahfouz restaurant , after lunch tour
the Citadel of Saladin, Mohammed Ali Mosque, made of alabaster,
then enjoy a guided leisurely treasure hunt walk through the legendary
11-century Khan El-Khalili Bazaar district . Dinner cruise and folk
show on board Hyatt Cruise
DAY
3 - CAIRO- Giza (BLD)
After breakfast we drive to the edge of the Sahara and into Giza :
Tour the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, lunch is included
at the Mena House. After which we head for Coptic Cairo : The Coptic
Museum , the Moalaka Church , Beni-Ezra Synagogue and the spot where
it is believed that "Baby Moses " was found by the Pharaoh's
Queen. Dinner is included at the hotel.
DAY
4 - CAIRO -
Fayoum Oases (BLD)
On
Desert Safari for the Day - Fayoum Oases - And you thought the Pyramids
were old ,
Saturday (BL)
We leave Cairo by sunrise ( private air conditioned car/driver/guide):
Full day Fayoum Oases including:
Hawara Pyramid, El Lahoun Pyramid, Ruins of Karanis, drive by Lake Qarun,
lunch is included at a local restaurant.
The
wilds of the desert begin right on the outskirts of Cairo, and continue
for hundreds of miles to the east and west, through sands, rock, mountains,
oases, and a surprising variety of scenery and inhabitants.
Join
us for a day ranging across the desert like modern nomads. In place
of camels, we’ll travel in comfortable, reliable four-by-four
Toyota Land Cruisers. Your guide and drivers will meet you at your hotel,
and soon you’ll leave bustling Cairo behind as you undertake the
drive toward the Oasis of El Fayoum, 150 kilometers to the southwest.
Hard as it is to believe, a great inland sea once covered these sands.
It was a holy reserve of sacred crocodiles, symbolized by the god Sobek.
We’ll
visit the temple of Kom Oshim, drive over ancient lake beds, and alongside
the waters of today’s Fayoum Lake to reach the fishermen’s
village of Chak Chouk. There we’ll stop for a lunch of fish caught
fresh that morning. There will be time to wander the village lanes and
discreetly watch the everyday activities of baking flatbread, irrigating
crops from the lake’s waters, and bringing in the catch. We’ll
also include the craft and pottery museum where the best works of local
artisans are on display.
Then
it’s into our four-by-fours again, for an off-road adventure!
We’ll head alongside and across desert washes, between dunes,
and over ancient lake beds for 35 kilometers to the Valley of the Whales
( In Arabic : Wadi-El-Hitan) . Incredibly, these great mammals once
thrived - almost forty million years ago- in waters surrounded by sands.
We’ll stop and gaze in amazement at their fossilized remains alongside
smaller sea creatures that remain in stone.
This valley was discovered in 1936 , by the German geologist George
Schweinfurth in the northwestern corner of Wadi El-Rayan.
The valley provides evidence of one of the major changes in this mammal
evolution has been declared by the UNESCO to be a World Heritage Site.
It is believed that these land based whales once had feet that may have
helped them somewhat while ashore . A team from the University of Michigan
discovered in the late 80's that these Zeuglodon whales did have rudimentary
feet , this was a startling discovery , suggesting that whales of Wadi
-El-Hitan had recently started living in water as well , these whales
were not related to any of the whales we have today , rather a more
slender body and may grow up to 75 feet long. Several skeletons of whales
are exposed in the sand. George Schweinfurth named this extinct specie
the Zeuglodon Isis Whales .
In
the evening, you’ll return to your hotel in Cairo. Land
transportation in air-conditioned four-wheel-drive Toyota Land Cruiser
with the services of driver and English-speaking driver. Lunch is included
at a local restaurant. Dinner is included at the hotel.
DAY
5 - LUXOR ! Board your Nile Cruise ( or
Aswan ) (BD)
We fly to LUXOR , our local rep will assist with your transfer
to your hotel. Brief stop at the hotel to freshen up and grap a cup
of coffee or tea with our compliemnets, then head off to the Luxor
Museum. Lunch is included at a charming local restaurant.
Afternoon tour of Deir El Medina, Medinet Habu and the Ramesseum
on the West Bank.
In the evening your guide will call on you for a horse drawn carriage
ride throughout Luxor bazaar and souks. Dinner is included at the hotel
For guests who prefer
a 6 cabin Deluxe Dahabiya Sailing Cruise , please click here
DAY
6 - LUXOR (BLD)
After
a leisure breakfast, we assist with your transfer to board our Nile
cruiser in time for a delicious lunch.
Complimentary welcome fruit basket awaits you in your cabin .The gigantic
Great Temple of Amon at Karnak, and the mighty Temple of Luxor
are our goals in the afternoon. We'll return in time for the afternoon
tea served on deck. You'll have a chance to explore your ship before
dinner. Evening Sound and light show at Karnak .
DAY
7 - LUXOR , EDFU (BLD)
We
tour today as well the magnificent tombs in the Valley of the Kings
including Tut-Ank-Amon's tomb and the great temple of Queen Hatshepsut,
we
stop at the Colossi of Memnon on the way back to our cruise.
Afterward,
we'll continue on Luxor's west bank to get a totally different perspective
on ancient Egyptian life, at the ancient workers' settlement of Deir
el-Medinah. While most of the imposing stone monuments and sites of
Egypt honor the lives and after-lives of royalty, Deir el-Medinah gives
us unique and surprising insights into the ordinary citizens who constructed
and decorated the tombs.
Here
we'll see the excavated homes shared by laborers with their domestic
animals. These quarters were surprisingly large, with three good-sized
rooms, courtyard, kitchen, and even storage cellars. While ancient Egypt
might not have been a workers' paradise, we'll see that artisans and
builders were highly regarded in their community. We are proud to be
the only operator to offer regular visits to this singular ancient settlement
in its tour and cruise programs.
We sail in the afternoon we cruise to Esna to go through the
locks , and on to Edfu where we dock for the night. In the evening ,
we'll celebrate in Egyptian style, dressed in galabias, the flowing
national costume, a galabya will be delivered to your cabin with
our compliments)
Day
8 - EDFU, KOM OMBO (BLD)
We
moor in Edfu, climb aboard horse-drawn carriages, and clip-clop
through the town to the Temple of Horus, Egypt's best-preserved
temple. Re-embarking on our Nile cruiser, we enjoy lunch as we sail
further south upriver .
We disembark downstream at Kom Ombo to visit its twin temples
of Haroeris, the sun god, and Sobek, the crocodile god, the continue
our voyage to Aswan, while we party after dinner with music & dance.
DAY
9 - ASWAN (BLD)
First we tour Aswan dams, and next an ancient granite quarry complete
with an unfinished obelisk. Then we go by motor launch to the
Island temple of Philae , dedicated to the Ancient Goddess ISIS .
Our
farewell dinner this evening is a buffet of Egyptian specialties, followed
by a show featuring oriental performers, including of course a belly
dancer.
DAY
10 - Abu Simbel - Private Egyptologist / Escort -
Drive back to Aswan (BLD)
We check out after a very early breakfast.
Ramses the Great's huge desert temple at Abu Simbel marked the southern
border of the pharaoh's dominions. Rescued from the rising waters of
Lake Nasser by an international effort, it is a marvel of sacred engineering.
Twice a year‹and only then the sun penetrates to the Holy of Holies,
illuminating the stone figures of Ramses and Nefertari.
We've
planned our visit to maximize your Abu Simbel experience. Rising before
dawn, we drive along the shore of Lake Nasser, watching the sky lighten
and the sacred sun rise above the horizon. We reach the temple while
the air is clean, clear and cool, and the sun's light still golden just
right for photographs. We explore the huge temple by ourselves, admire
its ancient aura and artistry, then retire to a comfortable hotel for
refreshments. Just as planeloads of visitors arrive to throng the temple
.
Lunch is included in Abu Simbel . Dinner is included at your hotel in
Aswan .
Head
back along Lake Nasser in your private air-conditioned vehicle, back
to Aswan and your hotel.
DAY
11 - ASWAN / CAIRO (BD)
After breakfast , we check out and fly back to Cairo.Remainder
of the day at leisure. A
complimentary Dinner is included at a local home: This is not a "
touristy thing" as some callers have inquired , this a genuine
effort on our part to have a "people to people " approach
away from the stereo type media images, and to allow you to meet some
local families, Egyptians , Arabs etc.
Meet the locals,
you may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family (
T shirt , small souvenirs of your home town):
This
evening we'll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread . . . right
into the homes of some of the people of Cairo ! You'll be invited to
a family dinner, and while you enjoy wholesome home-cooked specialties,
you'll learn about and appreciate the outlook, aspirations, and way
of life of your hosts. Be assured, as curious as you may be about your
new friends, they're sure to have questions about your own background.
Once the ice is broken, you'll enjoy a lively evening, and find that
you have more in common than you ever suspected. Of course, you may
enjoy dinner in a quiet restaurant with your travel companions, by letting
us know your preferences. All
transfers and tours are always on a private basis .
DAY 12 - CAIRO- Departure (B)
Our representative escorts you to the airport for your homeward flight.
RATES per
person in USD $
| |
Deluxe
- A
Fly Business Class |
Deluxe
Fly Economy Class |
Modest
- First Class
Fly Economy |
| Triple |
US$
3960.00 |
US$
2730.00 |
US$
2140.00 |
| Double |
US$
4113.00 |
US$
2853.00 |
US$
2293.00 |
| Single |
US$
5278.00 |
US$
4078.00 |
US$
3163.00 |
- For
Dec 17 - Jan 5, Easter , please add %20 supplement to any of the listed
rates.
- Private
touring on board the cruise: Please add $ 250 per person for the full
cruise/shore excursions.
| |
Deluxe
- A
Fly Business Class |
Deluxe-
B
Fly Economy Class |
First
Class
Fly Economy Class |
| Aswan
Hotels |
Old
Cataract Hotel
Hotel may close for renovation in 2008 for couple of years
In this case must use Movenpick Aswan or Similar |
Movenpick
Aswan, Isis Island Aswan or Similar |
Basma
or Similar |
| Cruise
|
|
|
|
| Cairo
|
Four
Seasons Hotel ( Standard Room)
Mena House Oberoi
Grand Hyatt, Marriott Zamalek , Conrad , Sofitel |
Hilton
/ Sheraton / Meridien |
Shepherds'
/ Novotel / Oases |
| Luxor |
Old
Winter Palace.
Nile Palace Steinberger Hotel , Sonesta Hotel
Or Similar |
Sheraton/
Hilton or Similar |
Novotel.
Philippe |
Rates
includes
- All
airfares and transfers within Egypt.
- Hotel
accommodation with tax & service charges.
- Visa
fee , visa will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for : American,E
U , Canadian & Japanese citizens. You are responsible for having
your passport in order valid at least for 6 month beyond the date
of your arrival in Cairo.
-
Nile Cruise with all meals & shore excursions.
- Preset
menu meals including B = Breakfast, (or cB,
Continental Breakfast) L = Lunch, D
= Dinner .
- All
guided sightseeing as per itinerary including all entrance fees.
Private touring in Cairo and Abu Simbel : Private air-conditioned
vehicle, private guide, private chauffeur.
While on board the cruise you'll be part of an average 10-15 English
speaking group.
- All
tips to porters , drivers, restaurants, crew on board your cruise
and the guides.
- All
transfers in Egypt, always on a Private basis, your private vehicle
is always an air-conditioned one.
- A
complimentary home hosted family dinner in Cairo.
Not
included:
- International
airfares to or from Cairo.
- Travel
Insurance (please consult your own insurance agent).
Other
choices :
Dining Room Reservations: Meet other passengers :
YOU will not require any, our dining rooms do accommodate all our guests
in one seating, one less thing to worry about while you are on the Nile.
Enjoy the cosmopolitan atmosphere with several different languages being
heard at dinner.
Do we get sea sickness while sailing the Nile ?
This is river sailing, so do not expect any waves , no rough seas
! Your Nile cruises is actually a floating hotel that moves from place
to place along the Nile. Actual cruising times are short and pleasant.
Add
a Spa Package to your stay in Cairo when you stay at the Hyatt or the
Four Seasons

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